AS PFOS-CONTAMINATED WATER CRISIS CONTINUES TO PLAGUE NEWBURGH, SCHUMER TOURS WASHINGTON LAKE AREA TAINTED BY PFOS AND ANNOUNCES NEW LEGISLATION REQUIRING U.S. AIR FORCE TO PAY FOR WATER CONTAMINATION CLEANUP IF FOUND RESPONSIBLE

Senator Says Air Force Must Work Faster to Identify Source of PFOS Contamination and Clean it Up

Standing with local leaders in Newburgh, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today toured the banks of Washington Lake, the site of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) contamination, which is believed to have originated at the Stewart Air National Guard base. Schumer also announced new legislation that would require the Air Force to immediately conduct tests to determine the extent of possible ground water contamination in and around the City of Newburgh and, if found culpable, pay for the cleanup, as well as release an expedited timeline detailing the immediate steps that will be taken to mitigate the contamination and ensure the critical water supplies residents rely upon are no longer impacted. Schumer said the Air Force must work faster to identify the sources of contamination, re-mediate it and‎ rectify this drinking water crisis in Newburgh.

“City of Newburgh homeowners and residents need answers and action from the Air Force regarding this toxic PFOS contamination – and they need it fast. Signs clearly point to the operations at the Stewart Air National Guard Base as the source of this pollution, so the Air Force needs to immediately conduct tests to determine the extent of this contamination, clean it up and, if found culpable, pay for the mitigation. They should also release a detailed timeline for cleaning up Washington Lake without further delay,” said Senator Schumer. “My legislation will require the Air Force to do right by the people of the City of Newburgh and do it fast. When it comes to drinking water in Newburgh, we cannot take any chances – only crystal-clear water and crystal-clear answers will do.”

Following recent news that environmental tests revealed elevated levels of PFOS – a highly toxic chemical related to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – in ponds near Stewart Air National Guard Base, Schumer announced he would introduce legislation that would require the Air Force to work faster to address the water crisis in Newburgh. Schumer explained that these ponds near the base eventually drain into Washington Lake, which is the primary source of Newburgh’s drinking water. PFOA and PFOS are man-made chemicals typically used to make non-stick and other household and commercial products heat-resistant and repel grease and water. However, exposure has been linked to increased health risks, including birth defects and cancers that impact organs like the kidneys and thyroid. After urging from Schumer, the EPA recently lowered its acceptable limit of human exposure to the related PFOA and PFOS to 70 parts per trillion.

Schumer said he would soon be introducing legislation that would do three things:

-          First, Schumer’s bill would require the Air Force to immediately conduct tests to determine the extent of possible ground water contamination in the City of Newburgh. Schumer said these tests will help determine who is responsible for the contamination and, therefore, who should be held accountable for cleaning it up.

-          Second, this bill would require the Air Force, if found culpable, to pay for the cleanup of the contamination. Schumer said the residents of Newburgh should not be punished by being forced to pay for the cleanup of their water, which was a result of pollution beyond their control.

-          Finally, Schumer’s legislation would require the Air Force to release an expedited timeline detailing the immediate steps that will be taken to mitigate the contamination in Newburgh. Schumer said this is needed to ensure the critical water supplies residents rely upon are no longer impacted.

Schumer was joined by Michael Ciaravino, Newburgh City Manager; Wayne Vradenburgh, Water Department Supervisor for the City of Newburgh; and Jason Morris, City Engineer.

“The residents of the City of Newburgh deeply appreciate Senator Schumer’s intervention in the contamination crisis of our Washington Lake Watershed.  Washington Lake is a core asset of our community, and it is important to fix our primary source of drinking water,” said City of Newburgh’s City Manager Michael Ciaravino. 

Before the U.S. Senate adjourned for congressional recess in July, Schumer introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that required the Department of Defense (DOD) to launch an investigation to determine the extent of possible ground water contamination in the City of Newburgh. However, very few amendments were included in the final version of the NDAA. As a result, Schumer vowed to keep fighting for Newburgh and will therefore be introducing this stand-alone bill to ensure residents are neither left footing the cost of this cleanup effort, nor suffering the consequences from the contamination of Washington Lake.

In addition to his legislation, Schumer is working directly with the Air National Guard. Last month, Schumer sent a letter to Lieutenant General L. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard to immediately release an expedited timeline for the identification and clean-up of any and all PFOS pollution. In May, Schumer called on the DOD to look into the extent of possible ground water contamination in the City of Newburgh. Additionally, earlier in May, Schumer along with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, called on the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) to immediately provide testing and planning assistance to the City of Newburgh.

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